Traction tread for wheels



March 4, 1924. 1,485,837

' E. P. DICKEY ET AL.

TRACTION TREAD FOR WHEELS Filed May '25. 1922 2 sheets-sheet 1 Patented Mar. 4, 1924,

UNITED TTEd EnWaRD. n-vnrcxny, or HARVEY, AND GEoRGn H. IRWIii, vor cHIcGofILLINoIs.

TRACTION 'BREAD 'non WHEELS.

Application filed May z5, 1922. serial No. 563,482.

F all whom t may concern.'`

Be it known that We, EDWARD P. DIOKEY and GEORGE I-I. IRWIN, kcitizens of the United States, residing, respectively, at I-Iarvey, in i theycounty of Coolrand State of Illinois,

and at Chicago, inthe county of Cook and i State of'Illnois, have jointly invented certain new and useful Improvements in Traction'Treads for Wheels, of Which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to traction Wheels V of that class in Which the tread While sustaining the vertical load imposed through the Wheel,

travels by developing limited penetration of the ground; and particularly to Wheel treads inr which -the penetration elements comprisesubstantially radial vanes extending laterally from a medial circumferential rib, and the load bearing surfaces between" these vanes are afforded by Webs Which arel concaved and inclined to the medial rib in a -manner to render the cavities, defined by the rib, vanes, and Webs, self clearing of the earth-cast formed therein. Y Y

One object of the invention is to provide a form of cavity definedv by a rib, vanes,

and a Web, which Will render the vanes more efficient ingea'ring the tread to thesurface over Which ittravels, and render the cavities more efcient 1n clearing themselves of the earth-cast Which is'being continually formed therein; and to these ends, one feature of the inventiony consistsin lo' eating the concave or trough-like bottom of the cavity radially inward from the crests of the vanes and rib; causingthe bottom of the cavity to merge into the rib through' 40 means of a substantially flat incline Which Y forms the inner end of the 'cavity and exercises a strongn lateral displacing influence i upon the earth-cast',` and causing' the sides of the concavity to, merge with the vanes at the penetrating edges of thevanes so that ,the latter stand out as clear vand unobstructappliedto the felly of a Wheel to render the lattersuitable for traction purposes;- also Will enter into non-slipping en 15 gagement With soft ground over-Which it Alimit contact to Vthe outer ia substantial distancel radially inward fromf rib, radial varies, and loadto develop ya sectional Wheel tread of thel class described, Which will zbe very light in proportion toits strength; to provide a construction of treadl segments which Will ling a traction tread of the class described in radial planesbisecting y'anes of the Wheel at their penetrating edges; the opposed faces of the vanes resulting from the subdivision being preferably diverged in a manner to portions thereof; andthe `resultant segments, preferably including one or more vanes intermediate of .the bisectedvanes which constitute the ends of the segment, Vbeing fashioned to enter into bearing 'upon the Wheel at the base of each vane in orderto sustain the vertical load of t,he Wheel;A i

' Another object of the invention is to provide a design of'rim segment Which, While meeting the several conditions above described, including lightness of construction,

yWill be .adapted yfor production economically and durably or forging.

In orderfthat the invention understood', 1- the preferred by'thef process of casting may be fully embodiment thereof Will` new -be described in detail, reference being hadtothe accompanying drawings, in; Which- Figure 1 is a side elevation` of a standard construction of' tractor Wheel having applied thereto `a tread embodying the severaly features of the"present invention.

Figure2wis a'plan vieWf o f the same. 7 Figure 3 shoWs a portion of the rim and tread of Figure l on an enlarged scale.

Figure 4 is a se'ction'on the line 4ax-4* of'Figure 3. y A

'Figure v5 is'ja section on the -line 5"--5x of FigureB; and@ Figure is asection on the Vline6"---'6 Y of Figures and 5, y

l represents a circumferential medial rib lying in a radial plane transverse to the axispof theWheel, 2 and?) represent tWo types ofradial vanes extending transversely from'oppositesides' vof tli'e'rib' 1 and constituting penetrating elements of the Wheel; and 4 represents Webs lling the spaces be- `.tvvfeen thevanesfaand and providing. load enga in t faces ujon the sides of the varies.

Webs 4 are concavedbetween the vanes 2,

A 3, soy as to compact'the earth-cast toward the center and away from the side walls of the vanes, but this concavitydecreases and becomes an approximately flat incline asV the web merges with the rib 1,; as shown more clearly at in Figure- 2. These features of the invention are. obviousl appli-cable to "a tread which is forme integrally with the rim vof the wheel, as well 'f as to a tread formed. separately therefrom,

or a tread made' in sections and applied to the wheel.` Y

Preferably, the tread is made separately from the wheel and is hollowed out on the under side to as full an extent as possible, consistent with strength required. Accordingly, as shown more clearly in' Figures 4 Y and .5,'theA transverse' section of the rim ALi() ford vertical support for the latter.

presents an arched construction with Vconvez; under surfaces 8 corresponding 4substantially to the concaved surfaces off the lwebs, the arch finding itsv support upon the rim 9 at the peintslO' beneath the outer margins of the webs, also throughmeans of feet 1l at the bases" of the varies 2, and preferably also through means' of the fins l2 extending circumferentially across the lateralmargins of the .webs 4 and beneath the intermediate Vane 3 in manner to af- The transverse archv of the tread is strengthened by the vanes 2A and 3, which intersect the archV as shown in Figures 4 and 5, and develop a chord 13 yon the under side of the crest thereof in additionto the vanes which are vronthek outsideA and which constitute strong trussing members extending between the feet 11` on opposite sides of the tread, infthe, case of the 'vanes 2,- or between a pair of fins 12 on opposite sides ofthe' tread, in the ca se of the intermediate vanesV 3.

In order to secure theseparatkely frmed tread te thelrim- 9 of the wheel, belts K14 are introduced through the supporting feet 11 and-.through the rime. l

v YThe separately formed tread is preferably constructed Afrom@V a plurality' of identical segments arranged circumferential series apen ai@ when,faadtaesssegmeats'are een divided radial# elw er yanef a, and in.

tions meet only in the rib 1 and in the such manner that member 2l of said vanes, which constitute the opposed ends of meeting'sectioins, will assemble as complementary members to produce the complete vane. The Opposed .faces .ef the. members are formed at angles' to the radial plaiie'of subdivision between the vsections so that secpenetrating ends of the vane members. This enables the segments to sustain one another in circumferential series and greatly simplifies the work of assembly; moreover, it leaves a segment substantially wedgefshaped in the radial direction so that the lastsction to beapplied can be 'crowded in between adjoining sections, and when ydrawn to its sea-tgwi-ll properly distribute the sectio-ns, circumferentially, in the series;

The medial circumferential rib 1 is preferably developedl with suiiicient width te constitute a smoothcontinuous tread Yfor sus- *tainingv the load of the wheel on hard surfaces,the penetrating edges of the van'es 2 and 3 being suiiiciently within the continuous tread in a radial direction to avoid iii-- jury to the road surface;

7e claim: v 1. A traction tread for wheels, comprising a medial circumferential rib havingan axial dimension sufficient tojcons'titute a smooth load bearing tread, radial penetrating va'nes projecting laterally from said rib andhavin'g their penetrating edges in an circumferential plane radially within the plane of said smooth tread, and load bearing webs intermediate of said vanes; inclined laterally and radially inward from near the lsriooth tread, and meeting' the side walls of the Yanes on lines diverging radially inward trom the penetrating edges of thevanes;

2. A tractionV tread formed separately from and constructed for attachmentv to wheels; said tread comprising a medial cir- 'cumfere'ntial'rib` radial penetrating vanes projecting laterally' fromsaid rib, and load bearing webs intermediate of said vanes;

certain of `said vanes having bearing feet,

through which they are stepped upo'n the wheel.'- f f 3. A traction tread formed separately from andk constructed for attachment toV bearing webs intermediate of said vanes; certain of said vanes having bearing feet through which they are stepped upon the wheel; and circumferentially extending ns being provided at the margins of said webs through which they bear upon the wheel; said fins extending from one web to another, across the end of an intermediate vane, and affording vertical support for the latter.

5. A traction tread, comprising a medial circumferentially extending rib, vanes extending laterally therefrom, and webs filling the spaces between the vanes and extending from near the crest of the rib laterally and radially inclined to the sides of the tread; said tread being formed separately from and constructed for attachment to a wheel.

6. A traction tread, comprising a medial circumferentially extending rib, vanes extending laterally therefrom, and webs filling the spaces between the vanes and extending from near the crest of the rib laterally and radially inclined to the sides of the tread; said tread being formed separately from and constructed for attachment to a wheel, and being subdivided into a circumferentially arranged series of sections.

7. A traction tread, comprising a medial circumferentially extending rib, vanes extending laterally therefrom, and webs filling the spaces between the vanes and extending from near the crest of the rib laterally and radially inclined to the sides of the tread; said tread being formed separately from and constructed for attachment to a wheel, and being subdivided into a circumferentially arranged series of sections, the planes of separation being coincident with penetrating edges of some of the vanes.

8. A traction tread, comprising a medial circumferentially extending rib, vanes extending laterally therefrom, and webs filling the spaces between the vanes and extending from near the crest of the rib laterally and radially inclined to the sides of the tread; said tread being formed separately from and constructed for attachment toca wheel, and being subdivided into a circumferentially arranged series of sections, the planes of separation being coincident with penetrating edges of some of the vanes, and said sections being arranged to abut at said edges.

9. A traction tread for wheels, comprising a medial circumferential rib, radial vanes extending laterally from said rib, and load bearing webs between said vanes, said tread being subdivided on radial planes extending through some of the vanes, and the vane members thus produced being provided ywith bearing feet adapted to sup'- port the tread sections upon the wheel.

10. A traction tread for wheels, arched in radial axial planes and providing by the crest of the arch a medial circumferential tread surface having transverse vanes intersecting and strengthening the arch and providing penetrating elements for the tread.

11. A traction tread for wheels, arched in radial axial planes and providing by the crest of the arch a medial circumferential tread surface having transverse vanes intersecting and strengthening the arch and providing penetrating elements for the tread; said tread being formed separately from the wheel and having bearing feet adjacent its vanes.

l2. A. traction tread for wheels arched in axialradial planes to provide a medial vanes constituting penetration members on either side of said rib and `sustaining the rib from the wheel upon which the tread is mounted, and fins with the lateral margins of said webs sustaining the latter upon the wheel.

Signed at Chicago, Illinois, this 28th day of April, 1922.

EDWARD P. DICKEY. GEORGE H. IRWIN. 

